WHAT do we mean by this title? Do you remember how a lawyer asked the Lord Jesus, “Which is the first commandment of all?” And Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:28- 3028And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Mark 12:28‑30).) This was the paramount spiritual requirement of the law. These words of Moses quoted by the Lord Jesus summed up the duties toward God specified and enumerated in the first table of the law, and far exceeded them. That law was never fulfilled by those to whom it came. They were addressed as men in their unregenerate state, men in the flesh, whose fallen nature did not and could not obey. (Rom. 8:77Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 8:7).) So it ministered death. (2 Cor. 3:77But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: (2 Corinthians 3:7).) To produce righteousness by the law was what the law could not do. (Rom. 8:1313For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13).)
But “grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” “And of His fullness have all we received and grace for (or upon) grace.” (John 1:16,1716And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:16‑17).) “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:1919We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19).) To the everlasting glory of God it has come to pass that, under this grace, love to God is produced though never commanded, while under law it was incessantly commanded but never produced.
The desire of God was expressed from the beginning, “O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep My commandments always!” (Deut. 5:2929O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deuteronomy 5:29).) The need of man, a new heart, is there revealed. Alas, man was not ready to believe this, for his self-confidence was unbounded and unchecked by conviction of failure. “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” (Ex. 19:88And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. (Exodus 19:8).) Now God finds the satisfaction of His desire in those who love Him (Rom. 8:2828And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)), those whom He has created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works. (Eph. 2:1010For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10).)
Both law and grace bear witness that love to God occupies the first place among those things that make us pleasing to Him. What “the first commandment” the law enjoined is the first and surest effect of grace. (Luke 7:42, 43, 4742And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. (Luke 7:42‑43)
47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. (Luke 7:47).) Love to God and to His Son in Christianity is all-important as the effectual constraining urge to obedience and self-denying labor. (2 Cor. 5:1414For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (2 Corinthians 5:14).) Yet as we have stated
Those Under Grace are Not Commanded to Love Him.
Let us reflect. Where does it say, You ought to love Christ? Where, This is His commandment, that ye love God with all your hearts? Did the Lord Jesus ever say, These things I command you, that ye love Me more than all? We all know that these things are nowhere written in the New Testament; not only so, we feel there is something about them which would be out of keeping with its spirit of grace. What is this something? Simply that, where the children of God are, they have become His children through His sovereign power and grace. They are partakers of the divine nature through believing the love He had toward them in Christ. For such, it is impossible not to love Him; to command them to love Him is unnecessary — they need at most to be reminded, in the spirit’s power, of the exceeding greatness of His love to them.
Scripture does find it necessary to command the children of God to love one another, however. “We ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:1111Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (1 John 4:11)); “This is His commandment, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:2323And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. (1 John 3:23)), and the Lord Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that ye love one another.” (John 15:1212This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (John 15:12).) Even so, each of these commands is embedded in a foundation of grace. His love to us, most potent motive for the renewed heart, is appealed to first of all, as the reader may see for himself by referring to the passages. The conclusion of all this is that His love to us has kindled and maintains ours to Him; again, this love of ours to Him works in us to generate brotherly love and all obedience.
The Means of Assurance that our Love to God’s Children is Genuine.
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.” Our text is a challenging and arresting one. “We know,” is opposed to “If a man say.” (4:20.) A man may “say” because he so thinks; or he may “say” on purpose to deceive. Let us consider only the former alternative. If one thinks he loves God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar, “for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:2020If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (1 John 4:20).) Where hatred to a brother is, ignoring or harming one always before the eyes, there love to God cannot be. How we should shrink from being thus convicted! Thank God, “By this we know that we love the children of God” — a way is open to put it beyond doubt, for ourselves and for others. A man does not require means by which to know whether he loves his wife or children. He can hardly deceive himself in regard to this, a natural affection. Love to the children of God, however, is a divine and not a natural human affection. In respect of it we may deceive ourselves. Let us then suppose one thinks he loves the children of God. No shattering disproof is in evidence; on the contrary, appearances are all in favor of his so thinking. What is the test whereby to know instead of “thinking” or “saying” merely? The answer is, “When we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:2 ,32By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:2‑3).) Here the heart and will are under survey. The heart (love) moves the will (obedience), and itself is moved by the love of God, which has put us under an infinite debt of gratitude. Did not the Lord Jesus say, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments”? And conversely, “He that hast My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me.” (John 14:15, 2115If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21).) If the will is not subject to Christ (obeying Him), then He is not loved. It follows further that the will won by the love of God does not find His commandments grievous, but a perfect law of liberty. Accordingly, obedience vouches for the heart’s love to God Himself, and these together verify that the accompanying love to the children of God is genuine. The heart then acquires in a divine way the assurance of loving God’s children as it should. Yet let it be very clearly noted how the believer is thrown back, when outward tests are found satisfactory, on the inward spring of all love to God’s children, namely, love to God Himself. This alone is the real source and beginning of true brotherly love, however remote it may be from the power of the flesh to discern and examine. Professed love to God without keeping His commandments is a sham. The “keeping of His commandments” without love to God is barren self-righteousness.
Without this teaching we might fall into the mistake that brotherly love would advance, grow, or “evolve” into love for God, on the ground that we climb from love of the brother, whom we have seen, to the love of God, Whom we have not seen. The latter would then be a product of our growth. This is not the truth. From the very first moment of our new life in Christ, love to God is the impelling motive of love to our brethren.
Love Falsely or Faultily So-called,
Let us consider how in the light of the foregoing scriptures, the faultiness of certain conceptions of brotherly love is thrown into relief.
There is a “love of the children of God” which in thought and practice is well satisfied to bestow itself within one denomination or circle of the children of God. It is confined within limits too narrow. Whether causes which have divided the children of God are scripturally warranted or not, there is no exception to the law of the divine nature. As another has said, “Whatever the strange differences or even the wrongs to be blamed, all that only alters the way in which we are to show the love.”
There is a “love of the children of God” which errs further, even within this too narrow compass, though its taint is everywhere. It avoids those who are “difficult” and, seeking its own ease, cultivates the more lovable. Still more in opposition to the present instruction, it may show respect of persons by favoring the rich and prominent, while treating the poor with neglect. “His commandments” make clear (and love to Him will observe them) that we should love those of low estate, walking along with (not “condescending” to) them (Rom. 12:1616Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (Romans 12:16)), or as one modern translation says, “Associate with humble folk.” Love will rejoice in relieving such needs as we find and cherish the weak, erring and troublesome, in tending, rebuking and restoring them.
There is a “love of the children of God” which counts all men as His children. If one who so counts is reading these lines, turn again to this first letter of John and ponder it deeply. It will reveal to you that yours are wider limits than the truth of God sets. Only those are called therein children of God who are cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, (1:7; 2:12), who live through Him, and have Him as their life, by believing on His Name. (4:9; vss. 11,13.) An altruistic or philanthropic regard for all men as God’s children takes no account of the fact that there are those who are not of God (3:10), and have not seen or known Him. (3:6.) “God so loved the world” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)), yet without faith in Him Whom that love has given, there is no eternal life — there are no children begotten of God.
There is a “love of the children of God” which for the sake of peace or popularity is indulgent. One, amiable himself, by his pleasant intercourse with his brothers and sisters encourages their worldliness, for instance, in omitting all rebuke, yet deems this to be love. Applying “His commandments” as a test, such “love” is proved faulty. It breaks down just where, in the case supposed, true love to the children of God would take effective measures to awaken their conscience. For He bids us, “Love not the world.” Neglect to speak, reinforced by unreproachful “fellowship,” is a double wrong and it trespasses against this law of God’s family.
“My little children, these things write I unto you that re sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1, 21My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1‑2).) T. D.